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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Chinese Orange Chicken

    Published: Jan 30, 2018 · Modified: Nov 16, 2020 by Melissa Stadler · This post may contain affiliate links · 642 Comments

    164933 shares
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    Chinese Orange Chicken that is better than take-out. How to make ORANGE CHICKEN at home with a sweet orange sauce. www.modernhoney.com

    Chinese Orange Chicken made with crispy fried chicken covered in an authentic orange sauce. The ultimate Chinese Orange Chicken Recipe which is way better than take-out. 

    My kids are always begging me to take them to grab Chinese food.  They are obsessed with orange chicken but I am never really sure what's in it....especially if they get it from a drive-thru. I wanted to create a version at home, made from scratch, with all-natural ingredients. It still has the same incredible flavor they love. It's definitely a win-win in our home.

    It is wintertime in Arizona which means that the citrus is ripe for the picking. I am surrounded by neighbors who have a plethora of fresh oranges and lemons hanging from their trees. This is the perfect time of year to whip up orange and lemon dishes especially this Chinese Orange Chicken.

    Chinese Orange Chicken that is better than take-out. How to make ORANGE CHICKEN at home with a sweet orange sauce. www.modernhoney.com

    This Chinese Orange Chicken is made with boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces, dredged, and then fried until golden and crispy. The orange sauce is divine! It is a sweet orange sauce made with orange juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, red chili flakes, and orange zest. It is both sweet and spicy and full of flavor.

    Chinese Orange Chicken that is better than take-out. How to make ORANGE CHICKEN at home with a sweet orange sauce. www.modernhoney.com

    How to make Chinese Orange Chicken at home:

    1.  Start with boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs.  Cut into bite-size pieces.  Dredge the chicken in whisked eggs and cornstarch/flour mixture until nice and coated. Get these chicken pieces ready for the oil.
    2. To make your homemade orange sauce, place orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red chili flakes in a small pot and cook over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch and water and cook until thickened. Stir in orange zest.
    3. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When frying foods, it is so helpful to use a thermometer. Let the oil heat up to 350 degrees.  Once the oil is ready, in batches, cook chicken for about 2 minutes until light golden brown.  Repeat with remaining chicken.
    4. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
    5. Toss fried chicken with the sweet orange sauce.  Top with grated orange zest and green onions. Serve immediately.

    Chinese Orange Chicken that is better than take-out. How to make ORANGE CHICKEN at home with a sweet orange sauce. www.modernhoney.com

    Chinese Orange Chicken that is better than take-out. How to make ORANGE CHICKEN at home with a sweet orange sauce. www.modernhoney.com

    Chinese Orange Chicken

    Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey
    Chinese Orange Chicken that is way better than take-out!
    4.96 from 483 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Asian

    Ingredients
      

    Chicken:

    • 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into bite-size pieces
    • 3 Eggs whisked
    • ⅓ cup Cornstarch
    • ⅓ cup Flour
    • Salt
    • Oil for frying

    Orange Chicken Sauce:

    • 1 cup Orange Juice
    • ½ cup Sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce use tamari for a gluten-free dish
    • ¼ teaspoon Ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
    • ½ teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
    • Orange Zest from 1 orange
    • 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

    Garnish:

    • Green Onions
    • Orange Zest

    Instructions
     

    • To make orange sauce:
    • In a medium pot, add orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red chili flakes. Heat for 3 minutes.
    • In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of water to form a paste. Add to orange sauce and whisk together. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and add orange zest.
    • To make chicken:
    • Place flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish or pie plate. Add a generous pinch of salt. Stir.
    • Whisk eggs in shallow dish.
    • Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then flour mixture. Place on plate.
    • Heat 2 -3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Using a thermometer, watch for it to reach 350 degrees.
    • Working in batches, cook several chicken pieces at a time. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, turning often until golden brown. Place chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat.
    • Toss chicken with orange sauce. You may reserve some of the sauce to place on rice. Serve it with a sprinkling of green onion and orange zest, if so desired.

    Video

    Keyword chinese orange chicken
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Chinese Orange Chicken that is better than take-out. How to make ORANGE CHICKEN at home with a sweet orange sauce. www.modernhoney.com

    This Orange Chicken is going to make you forget take-out. Let me know how it turns out by reaching out on instagram at @modern_honey. Have a great night, my friends!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy Bosserman

      June 07, 2023 at 9:46 pm

      5 stars
      I used ginger and garlic paste instead of dried, fresh is ALWYAS better. I increased the sauce by 50% as well. Fresh squeezed orange juice for half the orange juice, this is a keeper!

      Reply
    2. Donba

      June 05, 2023 at 5:31 pm

      4 stars
      Was great not very complexed. But would like it a little more crisper, great sauce.

      Reply
      • Leah

        June 06, 2023 at 7:12 am

        5 stars
        I would recommend marinating the chicken pieces in 2 egg whites with 2 TBSP of low sodium soy sauce and 1 TBSP of rice vinegar. I only marinate for like 15 minutes, but you can do longer. Then, place the pieces (10 at a time) in cornstarch flavored with salt and pepper at the least (I put a bit of garlic, onion, and ginger powder). Cook the pieces together in peanut oil until golden brown and you'll definitely have your crunch 🙂

        Reply
    3. Tyler Ayers

      June 05, 2023 at 4:45 pm

      5 stars
      Outstanding!
      We have some food intolerances so we substituted:
      sugar for honey
      soy sauce for coconut aminos
      corn starch for arrowroot flour

      Kept everything else the same and this is the best orange chicken we've ever had. Thank you so much!

      Reply
    4. Lis

      June 05, 2023 at 4:00 pm

      5 stars
      My husband says it’s the best recipe ever, and I proudly take it from a super picky eater. Super easy and tasty recipe. Love the fact that I can adjust the heat

      Reply
    5. Keith

      June 02, 2023 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      oops, forgot the rating. This is it

      Reply
    6. Keith

      June 02, 2023 at 2:43 pm

      Substitute tapioca flower for cornstarch to make a shiny glaze and to the dredge also. Crispier. This is the best recipe I've had all month.

      Reply
    7. Leah

      May 28, 2023 at 5:29 pm

      5 stars
      My husband is so obsessed with this recipe! Even my picky son likes it! I double the recipe & add 2 tsp of sesame oil. Amazing 😍

      Reply
    8. Yudaimi

      May 18, 2023 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      Very delicious ! I used fresh ginger and garlic. I also made it with cassava flour for a GF option.

      Reply
    9. Ryan

      May 13, 2023 at 8:47 pm

      5 stars
      Outstanding!
      I cheated by using fried chicken tenders from the deli. Chopped them up and tossed them in the sauce and put them on top of a bed of rice and a side of mixed veggies. Easy!

      Reply
    10. jake

      May 12, 2023 at 6:57 am

      5 stars
      delicious

      Reply
    11. Robert E Prince

      May 11, 2023 at 7:08 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like a good recipe and I will make it, but...
      No Chinese chef would use powdered ginger. It is not at all like fresh ginger. Ditto on the garlic.
      And this is not gluten-free even if you use tamari (which makes it definitely inauthentic), because there is flour in the recipe. There are gluten-free flours and while it will be a bit different, if you have celiac, it's your only option.
      Even though I haven't made it yet, I'm giving it 5 stars anyway, as having been a trained classic Chinese chef for 40 years, I know that with the adjustments mentioned, it will be a fine dish.

      Reply
      • hi

        May 26, 2023 at 9:36 am

        5 stars
        bruh

        Reply
    12. Laurie Baker

      May 10, 2023 at 8:47 pm

      5 stars
      I've been looking for better Chinese Orange Chicken recipes, Would it taste better if honey was added?

      Reply
      • Me

        May 13, 2023 at 3:43 pm

        4 stars
        The sauce was great. The texture of the chicken and the light breading on the chicken were great. However, after following a recipe once, I then like to figure out what I can do to make it better. The chicken was pretty flavorless to be honest. Obviously I figured but like I said, I always follow the recipe the first time around. I'll leave the sauce alone but next time I will definitely add seasoning to the chicken before breading it and then add a little seasoning to the flour/corn starch mix itself.
        Once you got midway through the bite, the sauce was gone and you're left with flavorless chicken in your mouth. I really think that's what it was missing for me and with that added, it'll be 5 stars.

        Reply
      • Ron B.

        June 04, 2023 at 7:15 pm

        5 stars
        Nope! Made it for the first time tonight. Plenty sweet with the recipe.

        Reply
    13. Beverly Wolsey

      May 01, 2023 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      Tried this receipe and it was good. I used fresh garlic and doubled the receipe. It still turned out fantastic!

      Reply
      • Jake

        May 12, 2023 at 6:58 am

        5 stars
        Honey is a good idea!!!

        Reply
    14. Hanna S

      April 30, 2023 at 10:10 am

      Delicious! I used fresh ginger and fresh garlic.

      Reply
      • Sharlette

        May 09, 2023 at 3:47 pm

        5 stars
        Oh my goodness delicious! easy!

        Reply
    15. JD

      April 28, 2023 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic!! Thank you.

      Reply
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